Mike was standing in front of the toilet, seemingly asleep, the front of his pajamas soaking wet. Becca sighed softly as she came into the bathroom, then fetched a washcloth from the linen closet and soaked it in warm water from the sink. "Come on Mikey" she said gently, taking his hand. Becca led Mike back to his bedroom and stood him in front of his bed. She pulled his soaked pajamas and underpants down to his ankles and Mike obediently stepped out of them.

Becca wiped Mike's legs, thighs and other wet areas with the washcloth, then tossed the cloth in the boy's hamper as she went to his dresser for clean clothes. Becca dressed Mike in the warm, dry underwear and pajama pants and directed him into bed, where she proceeded to tuck him in. "A sister's work is never done" She whispered with a smile, and kissed her brother on the forehead before leaving him to sleep.

Slow to Wake

By Jon Baby ( jonBaby@ecnad.com )

I'm not really a bed wetter in the strictest definition of the word. I don't usually wet while asleep, I do it while not quite awake! You see, I have a really hard time waking up. My doctor says there's a name for it, but I don't remember it. It takes my body like twenty minutes to get fully awake, and during that time I don't have much control over things such as peeing. Sometimes I wet myself while laying in bed trying to wake up, or while sitting up in bed. And sometimes it happens while I'm sitting on the edge of my bed trying to make my legs wake-up enough for me to stand and walk. Even once I can stand, I don't really know what's going on, so I have to stumble my way to where I think the bathroom is, and try and remember to lift the lid and push down my pants. Sometimes I forget to do one or more of those steps. My mom never gets mad at me for it because she knows it's not my fault, and a lot of times my sister helps me clean up the messes I make so Mom doesn't have to be bothered by them.

Lately I've gotten good at finding my way to the bathroom while still sort-of asleep... that is, until we moved!

Part One - Who Moved My Potty!

The first couple nights in our new house I woke with just enough memory to know I was on unfamiliar territory, so I resigned myself to intentionally wetting the bed and went back to sleep. On the fifth night, I forgot.

I was majorly uncomfortable with my bladder feeling like it was going to burst, and that helped wake me up enough that I could get out of bed and head to the bathroom. I couldn't really keep my eyes open, so I stumbled and fumbled my way to where I thought the bathroom was... only problem is I was heading for where the bathroom was in our old house, not the new one.

I got to where I thought the bathroom was and walked in, only instead of a bathroom I was at the stairs, and where I expected flat ground, there was none. I hit the stairs hard and don't remember reaching the bottom - which is probably good since the first hit hurt so much!

I woke up in the Children's Hospital with a broken arm and plenty of bruises. I wasn't too hurt, but they made me stay for two days 'just in case' since they thought I might have a concussion too. Because of my sleep disorder the hospital people made me stay in a crib so I wouldn't wake up confused and wander off. I didn't really like that. I knew it was for the best when I was asleep, but it felt like being in jail when I was awake. Made me feel like I had been bad or something.

I was real glad when they finally let me go home!

Part Two - A New System

My mom wanted to switch my room with the guest room downstairs, so I didn't have to worry about stairs, but I didn't like that idea at all. I didn't want to be that far away from my Mom and sister at night, especially since it's so hard for me to move around at night anyway!

We thought about it for several hours and finally came up with a plan we could agree on. Mom switched my door knob with a security knob that has a keypad on my side. To get out of my room I have to enter the code. That way I had to be good and conscious before I could get the door open. The code would be changed weekly so I wouldn't get to a point where I could remember it in an overly sleepy state. In case of emergency Mom put an intercom system that connected my room with hers and the kitchen downstairs, so if I needed help right away, I could get it.

Oh, and I wear diapers now.

We kind of both agreed on the diapers thing. Getting to the bathroom is my biggest problem with my sleep disorder. Sure I have trouble getting up in the morning too, but Mom just wakes me up early enough that I have time to get fully awake before school. But the need to pee is just to urgent for me to wake up in time, and now with the door lock I was never going to make it. Plus I'm kind of tired of the nightly struggle anyway. Most of the time I don't make it and wet myself, so wearing a diaper I can just stay asleep and not worry about it!

Mom bought two-dozen pre-fold (that means they are thick in the middle!) cloth diapers and a dozen diaper covers (waterproof pants) from the Children's Hospital supply store, and a diaper pail from Wal-Mart as well as an extra dresser to keep my supplies in.

"You can diaper yourself if you prefer - as soon as your cast comes off that is - or I'll diaper you if you don't want to do it. And your sister will help when you need it." My mom explained the first night as I laid in bed having stripped down to just my underpants. With all my wetting problems I wasn't nervous or uncomfortable being diapered by my Mom as both her and Becca had helped me clean up after tons of night-time accidents.

My mom pulled my underpants off and threw them in my clothes hamper, then laid the new, soft, white cloth diaper between my legs and tugged it up under my bum. She sprinkled baby powder on my diaper area and gently spread it around explaining as she did that I would need to do this when I diapered myself, so as to avoid getting diaper rash.

I watched as best I could as my Mom folded the sides of the cloth to form kind of a cup between my legs and pulled the end up over my belly and began to fasten the sides with pins. She saw me trying to watch and said, "Don't worry, I'm sure Becca will let us diaper her so you can see how to do it properly." She smiled and winked as she said that, and I smiled too.

"When you put your diaper cover on, you have to make sure the diaper is tucked inside at the waist, and around your legs. If any of the cloth is outside the rubber pant you'll leak." As she said it, she did it, pushing at the diaper material and tugging at the cover to make sure I was properly diapered. "When your arm heals you should do the powder, and clean-up yourself - even if you have me diaper you - as your body is your own, and your responsibility!"

With that lesson in hygiene my Mom tucked me into bed and shut off the lights. "Two-Seven-One-Nine" My mom said as she closed the door, letting me know the code needed for me to open it. I tried to memorize it the best I could as I laid there getting more and more sleepy. Being diapered felt weird. I had to lay differently to make up for the thickness between my legs, but other than that it was kind of nice. Soft and warm, and the rubber diaper cover made my bum slide across the sheets so I could roll over real easy.

- - -

I forget a lot of things when I wake up groggy at night. I forgot I was wearing a diaper, and I forgot I was locked in my room! I sat up in bed for at least ten minutes trying to wake up as I felt myself wetting myself. Finally, I decided to go to the bathroom and got up - then fell down - and crawled back to my feet again. I stumbled to the door and grabbed at the knob which wouldn't turn, and I didn't know why not. I yanked the handle both ways over and over, trying to get the stupid door to open, but it wouldn't budge. Frustrated, I started to cry as I twisted the know, which only slid against my hand, not turning.

Becca knocked on the door lightly, then opened it and found me standing there in tears. "I couldn't open the door!" I cried, and Becca grabbed me and hugged me. "It's locked, remember." She whispered softly into my ear. "But, I wet myself!" I sobbed. "Mikey, you're wearing a diaper." She informed me, and that was just enough to make me remember the new system. "I forgot." I replied. "Come on, get back in bed." Becca suggested and led me back to my nice warm bed.

"You want me to change you, so you're not wet?" Becca asked as I laid down. I nodded yes not wanting to be uncomfortable all night. She took my diaper cover off, then unpinned and removed the soggy cloth diaper and dropped both items into the diaper pail. Mom promised she'd wash my diapers every day so I wouldn't have a bunch of smelly diapers in my room.

Becca went to my new dresser and brought back another new diaper, and diaper cover, a tub of baby wipes, baby powder and a tube of diaper rash cream. She gently cleaned me with a couple of baby wipes, and then spread some of the cream on me, followed by the powder. She diapered me the same way Mom had, and was just as careful in securing the diaper cover over my diaper. "Go back to sleep now." She said as she pulled my covers over me and left.

Part Three - Back to Normal (normal for me anyways)

I had a few more bad nights before I got used to being in diapers, but once I did I felt much better. I slept better not having to struggle to get to a bathroom and even had an easier time getting up in the morning since I was getting more sleep. The first night became the routine. Mom would diaper me at bedtime (or sometime in the evening) and Becca would change me in the middle of the night, often without me knowing it.

By the time my cast came off six weeks later I was wearing diapers more than just at night. If I wasn't at school I was wearing a diaper. It was just easier for everyone and I really liked the security of not having to worry any more. I choose to have Mom keep diapered me as I'm really not very good at doing it myself, but as promised I handle wiping myself and applying the creams and powders so all Mom has to do is pin me up and help with the diaper cover.

Becca kept changing me at night until she moved out and got married, so now Mom puts a doubled diaper on me at bedtime so I can go all night without a change. I do diaper myself from time to time, but now-a-days I prefer to let my girlfriend Jill do it! She thinks it's cute that she can have a boyfriend and someone to baby all in one guy. Maybe we'll get married soon too!

The End [Or is it?]